


Long Shot

by hearshotkid



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 13:44:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3175206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hearshotkid/pseuds/hearshotkid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Asami and Bolin have their first real conversation in three years at Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding. Remembering how close they were in the past, Asami decides to confide in Bolin some feelings that have been nagging at her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Shot

Asami always loved a celebration. She knew that this wedding was a small bright spot amidst all the destruction and chaos that had surrounded the city in recent times, and that she should have been grateful for this opportunity to be surrounded by friends. She was supposed to have been happy.

But she wasn't, not entirely. She was happy for Zhu Li and Varrick, of course. The ceremony was wonderful. But she felt as if something was missing, something that would have made such a beautiful night that much more memorable. She assumed originally that it was her father's death that had brought that feeling on, but it couldn't have been. It had lingered just under the surface of her consciousness for much longer than she had been without her father.

Asami sat alone while her friends socialized and enjoyed the festivities, that empty feeling suddenly tugging at her harder than it ever had before. Instinctively, she looked up to find Korra talking to Mako and Wu, all the way across the dance floor. She felt a small smile growing on her face, her heart pounding slightly faster. That was when she realized; it wasn't her father she was missing. It was Korra.

She knew she had feelings for Korra. She had known ever since she read that letter from her a few years ago. Perhaps she had put them on the back burner once the fate of Republic City moved to the forefront of her, and everyone else's, priorities. But she had no idea they would return with such force.

"Asami! Hey, Asami!" She heard someone calling to her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned to find Bolin at its source, running back to the table from the dance floor. Asami gave him a small wave as he approached, with Bolin nodding in response.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Asami pulled out a chair for her friend.

"I know, right?" Bolin responded as he sat down, "I've been wanting to catch up with you for a while, but with everything that's been going on..."

"I know. They put me right on the spirit fine project with Varrick as soon as he got back. I didn't have any time to go see you. I'm sorry," Asami apologized, to which Bolin responded by waving it off. Asami continued with a smile, "So, now that everything's calmed down... how have you been?"

"Pretty good, pretty good. Haven't done much since everything went down. Unless you count helping Varrick and Zhu Li plan this whole thing."

Asami laughed, "That must have been interesting."

"Yeah, half the battle was keeping Varrick and his crazy ideas under control. If it were up to him, this place would've basically been a shrine to Zhu Li..."

Asami began to drift as Bolin was speaking. Her eyes gravitated to where she had seen Korra last, across the dance floor. But she wasn't there anymore. Asami scanned her line of sight, her eyes once again craving the sight of Korra, but they were not satisfied. She found the newborn spirit portal in her peripheral, turning her body toward it slightly in hopes that she would find Korra there.

And she did. Korra sat at the gate to Air Temple, alone, looking out at the spirit portal. Asami continued to look, the pounding in her heart returning, a desire to confess her feelings beginning to well up in her chest. She could have left the table right then and there, walked up to Korra, and told her everything, if she so desired. But something kept her, something more than just the conversation. It was the lingering doubt, that always followed close behind her feelings for Korra, that said feelings would even be taken seriously, let alone reciprocated. All she could do at that moment was sit and stare.

"Asami?" Bolin once again broke Asami's trance, and she jolted her gaze back to Bolin. "Are you alright? You seem a little... off."

"I'm fine, sorry," Asami answered too quickly. "I'm just... thinking," she glanced behind her.

"About what?" Bolin hoped, perhaps in vain, that she would elaborate for him. He knew that she had lost her father, but she seemed to be acting especially strange. He was her friend; he wanted her to know that she didn't have to hide anything, or feel like she couldn't talk to him, even if it was three years since they had spoken like they were.

Asami finally made direct eye contact with Bolin, who was already looking at her. She saw the sincerity in his eyes, and smiled. "Just... this whole wedding. I never would've imagined Varrick and Zhu Li getting married until, like, a month ago." She wanted to be honest with him, she truly did, but she couldn't let him know how she felt. She was having a hard enough time coming to terms with it; she didn't want to burden Bolin with it as well.

"Yeah, I'm with you," Bolin agreed, trying to hide his still-present concern, "I was with them a lot, and when Varrick said he started liking Zhu Li like that, I was really confused."

"He told me he was a wreck," Asami smiled at the memory.

"Oh, man, that doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He was always like, 'Zhu Li would've done this,' and, 'This wouldn't have happened if Zhu Li were here.' He even tried to replace her with me!"

"Are you serious?" Asami laughed at Bolin's mediocre impersonations of Varrick, remembering for a moment how much fun they used to have together, everything they had sacrificed for each other. Perhaps she could trust him after all.

"Oh, it was bad," Bolin continued, "And I mean, I was pretty annoyed by it, but I guess in a way I also kinda felt bad. Because I really thought Zhu Li was gone for good, too, until I found out she was lying, and got her out of there before she was used for spirit weapon target practice."

"The odds were stacked against them, completely," Asami realized out loud. Everything in Varrick and Zhu Li's lives pointed them away from each other. Varrick was not supposed to find out that Zhu Li was sabotaging the weapon when he did. Zhu Li wasn't even supposed to be alive. And they were so upset at each other. But it worked. Somehow, it worked, and they were reunited, and they were happy.

If they can do it, Asami thought, then so can I.

"Yeah, I didn't see it coming at all until I found out they were both into each other like that," Bolin agreed, "But hey, I'm not one to judge. Long as they're happy, right?"

"Yeah..." Asami spit out an empty reply, her mind fixated on Bolin's words.

It was, word for word, exactly what she needed to hear in her situation, and he didn't even know about it yet. He had no idea what she needed, and neither did she; and yet, he had given it to her just then. Her trust in Bolin as an impartial, non-judgmental confidant was validated in that moment. She had to tell him. "Ah, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

Asami felt her heart racing again. The pounding travelled to her temples, and every pulse could be felt in her ears, in her eyes, trying to break through her chest. This was unprompted, and this was going to be a shock. She had to go about this delicately, "Do you think that two people who nobody would expect to be together can always work it out? Or do you think Varrick and Zhu Li just got lucky?"

Bolin scrunched his eyebrows, unsure of the intent behind such an unusual question, "I don't know, I... I think it just takes work. It doesn't really matter what people expect, I don't think. As long as both people work to make it good," Bolin hesitated before asking, "Why do you wanna know that?"

Asami could feel Bolin's worried, innocent eyes boring into her skin, and she couldn't even look at him. "It's because..." she knew she had to tear the leech off quick so it wouldn't hurt. The pounding would stop, the anxiety would stop, and he would help her. She knew he would. So she confessed, "It's because I like Korra. I really, really do. And I just want to know, for me, if it's something worth even pursuing."

Bolin made a conscious effort not to show the shock on his face, and was, admittedly, unsure of whether he had succeeded at that. He would love Asami no matter what, and did not want to give the impression that that wasn't the case, but that was the last thing he expected to hear her say. "Wait, like... in a date way?" He asked, to confirm.

"Please don't think any differently of me, I-"

"No, I don't," Bolin stopped her before she could make herself feel any worse, "I just... wanted to make sure I was taking it the right way."

"Okay..." Asami finally managed to look him in the eye, to find him already smiling at her. His eyes were sincere. They always were. She smiled back, as that was the only way she could express her gratitude to him, and she hoped he could understand that.

"No, but you should really go talk to her," Bolin broke the silence, "I mean, you're best friends already, so why don't you just bring it up?"

Asami agreed, "I should, right? I mean, now's as good a time as any. But..." She looked back to where Korra was before, at the gate. She was still there, but she wasn't alone this time. "She's talking to Tenzin right now. Maybe I should wait until she's done."

"What's this?" Asami felt a hand on her shoulder, her heart sinking at the realization that it couldn't have been Bolin's. She turned to him to find that he was staring behind her. When she turned around, she found Varrick standing behind her. "Is that fear I smell on you, Miss Sato?" He wagged a finger at her.

"How much of that did you hear?" Asami asked, her cheeks growing warm. Nobody was supposed to know except for Bolin.

"Enough," he replied, "Now, listen," Varrick moved between Asami's seat and Bolin's, slapping a hand on each of their shoulders as he squatted to their level, "That airhead can talk for hours. If you want any chance of Korra time tonight, that man needs a distraction."

"A distraction?" Bolin asked.

"Precisely! And I've got just the thing!" Varrick turned to Asami, "What you do is, you go over there and tell him I want one of those glider suit things so I can jump off the tower. You just know he's gonna come running. Don't worry, I'll take the heat."

Asami pondered the proposition aloud, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Sure? What do you mean, 'sure?' Of course it's a good idea, I thought of it!" Varrick replied.

Asami glared at him, "That's not what I meant, genius." Varrick shrugged. At least he's alright with this whole thing, Asami assured herself. She continued, "What I meant was, are you sure this is a good way to start a conversation? Especially one like this? It just seems so... artificial."

"Come on, it's worth a shot," Bolin assured her. "Like I said, you gotta work at it to make it good. So... go do some work. I mean, we've got your back either way, right?" Bolin looked to Varrick, who gave her a thumbs-up.

Asami stood up, "Alright. I'm gonna do it," she said, her eyes fixed downward on the table. She turned to the boys, "Wish me luck."

Asami walked towards the gate where Korra was, feeling the radiation from the boys' smiles against her back. Realizing she had to make this believable, she broke into a brisk run. Varrick was about to make a very, very stupid decision after all.

As the distance between her and Korra faded, Asami's mind wandered. She was about to talk to a girl she loved very much, and hopefully tell her so. She reunited with her best friend, who once again showed undying support for her. And perhaps the happiest man on the planet at that moment set aside time on the happiest night of his life, that she was a part of, to help her.

Everything clicked for Asami. Everything was good again. That empty feeling was gone. And, perhaps, considering how perfect this night turned out to be, her and Korra wouldn't be too much of a stretch after all.


End file.
